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EP0032773A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

A lock

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1981-01-16
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2001-01-16
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Abstract

Abstract A usually unloaded feeler member responsive to a critical change of condition and incorporated in the lock of e.g. a buckle fastening of a safety belt, which feeler member is adapted under spring action to move the locking member of the lock from the locking position to the release position.

Inventors

  • 👤 José Bron

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 04:22
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05B; E05B77/00; E05B77/02; E05B77/12; B; B60; B60J; B60J9/00; B60J9/02; B60R; B60R22/00; B60R22/32; B60R22/322; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S24/00; Y10S24/30; Y10S292/00; Y10S292/65; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/45; Y10T24/45005; Y10T24/45079; Y10T24/45084; Y10T24/45225; Y10T24/45461; Y10T292/00; Y10T292/08; Y10T292/1043; Y10T292/1075; Y10T292/1082; Y10T292/57; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/11

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 156 words
A lock having a locking member displaceable between a locking position and a release position, characterized in that the lock is provided with a safety device for automatically unlocking the locking member upon a critical change of a given ambient condition, which safety device comprises at least one usually unloaded feeler member (33; 47; 73) responsive to the respective change of condition and provided with an unlocking element (35; 53; 82), which through the effect of a spring (37, 56; 85) is movable from a retracted rest position, wherein said element does not influence the locking member of the lock, to an operative position wherein said element displaces the locking member to the release position, whereby the unlocking element is retained in the rest position by a catch (43, 52; 83) co-acting with the feeler member, which catch is actuated when the feeler member responds to a change of condition and then releases the unlocking element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 156 words
A lock having a locking member displaceable between a locking position and a release position, characterized in that the lock is provided with a safety device for automatically unlocking the locking member upon a critical change of a given ambient condition, which safety device comprises at least one usually unloaded feeler member (33; 47; 73) responsive to the respective change of condition and provided with an unlocking element (35; 53; 82), which through the effect of a spring (37, 56; 85) is movable from a retracted rest position, wherein said element does not influence the locking member of the lock, to an operative position wherein said element displaces the locking member to the release position, whereby the unlocking element is retained in the rest position by a catch (43, 52; 83) co-acting with the feeler member, which catch is actuated when the feeler member responds to a change of condition and then releases the unlocking element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
A lock according to claim 2, characterized in that the feeler member comprises a liquid-absorbing swelling body (33) which presses the catch (43) to the release position upon its swelling-up by liquid absorption.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
A lock according to claim 2, characterized in that the swelling body (33) is enclosed in a chamber (28) bounded at one side by a slide (31), which slide engages the catch (43).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 104 words
A lock according to claim 3, characterized in that the catch (43) is rotatably mounted and has two arms, the one catch arm engaging behind a stop shoulder (44) of the unlocking element (35), while the other catch arm engages the slide (31) and through the force of the spring (37) engaging on the locking element keeps the slide pressed to an inner rest position defined by a stop (32), in such a way that the swelling body upon expansion through intermediary of the slide can rotate the catch against spring action until this catch falls from the stop shoulder of the unlocking element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 58 words
A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unlocking element comprises a longitudinally slidably guided unlocking rod (35; 82) which with its leading end is adapted to act on the lock latching member or a co-acting part and which at its rear side has opening (44, 59; 84) wherein the catch engages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 38 words
A lock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as feeler member is present a temperature-responsive member (47; 73) which responds to a strongly increased critical ambient temperature for actuating the catch (52; 83).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 56 words
A lock according to any one of the claims 2-5, characterized in that the lock is a buckle fastening with snap effect, in particular for a safety belt for motor-cars or the like, and that the safety device together with the feeler member designed as a swelling body (33) is accommodated in the buckle housing (1).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 116 words
A lock according to claim 7, wherein the buckle fastening has as locking member a locking body mounted pivotally in the buckle housing and pressed by a spring to the closure position, which locking body is adapted to engage in an opening of a buckle tongue insertible in the buckle housing by an insert slot and which for its unlocking is adapted to be lifted from said tongue opening by a hand knob-operated lock lifting rod, characterized in that the unlocking element respectively the unlocking rod (35) slidably guided in the buckle housing (1) is adapted to engage with its end underneath an edge of the locking body (15) of the buckle fastening for lifting same.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 73 words
A lock according to claim 6 and 7 or 8, characterized in that the safety device comprises besides the swelling body (33) also as second feeler member a temperature-responsive member consisting of a bimetal element (47) accommodated in the buckle housing (1), which element operates a catch (52) for a separate unlocking rod (53) for the locking body (15) of the buckle fastening and slidably guided in the buckle housing under spring pressure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 107 words
A lock according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the lock is a door lock, in particular for a motor-car door, of the type that is closable at one side by a key and at the other side having an actuating member, such as a sliding pin (62) provided with a hand knob (63), by means of which the lock can be locked and unlocked from this side, whereby the unlocking element (35) of the safety device (61) being under spring pressure, upon actuation of said device, actuates the sliding pin of the door lock when said pin is in the lock latching position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 64 words
A lock according to claim 10, characterized in that the safety device (61) is accommodated in a separate housing (66) and the unlocking element comprises a push rod (35) projecting outwardly from said housing, the head (71) of which lies opposite the end of the actuating member respectively the lock sliding pin (62) facing away from the actuating knob (73) for the actuation thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 32 words
A lock according to claim 6 and 11, characterized in that the safety device (61) comprises besides a swelling body (33) likewise a temperature-responsive member (73) for unlocking the push rod (35).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 57 words
A lock according to claim 12, characterized in that the temperature-responsive member comprises a container (73) filled with a medium expanding when heated and connected through a conduit (74) to a diaphragm box (75) attached to the housing (66) of the safety device (61), while the diaphragm of said box is coupled to the respective catch (83).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 39 words
A lock according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the unlocking element (82) added to the temperature-responsive member, upon actuation thereof, acts on the catch (43) of the push rod (35) actuated by the swelling body (33).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 19 words
A loose safety device for a door lock of a motor-car door according to any one of claims 10-14.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

FR2315878A2 Cited

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